New Radiohead album... musical revolution?

[Nimsky]

Alright, maybe I'm jumping to conclusions... but I think that the way Radiohead are distributing their new album is pretty cool.

Basically, if you're interested in getting their new album (out next week, it's called "In Rainbows"), you have two options:

1. Digital download
2. Discbox (new album on CD + on vinyl + another CD with new songs and extras)

The discboxes will get shipped in December and cost you

 

[Quietus]

Well that's extremely risky. Personally their only album I really enjoy is "the bends". I didn't like when they embarked onto the digital blips, bloops, and assorted noises route of later albums. A reasonable amount to pay for any album you like most the songs on is about 10-12 dollars for me. A reasonable price IMO.

 

[Nimsky]

I don't think it's risky at all. Think of it, Radiohead is one of the biggest bands in history. They can afford it to give their new album away for free.

I like what some of the record labels are saying:

While many industry observers speculated that Radiohead might go off-label for its seventh album, it was presumed the band would at least rely on Apple's iTunes or United Kingdom-based online music store 7digital for distribution. Few suspected the band members had the ambition (or the server capacity) to put an album out on their own. The final decision was apparently made just a few weeks ago, and, when informed of the news on Sunday, several record executives admitted that, despite the rumors, they were stunned. "This feels like yet another death knell," emailed an A&R executive at a major European label. "If the best band in the world doesn't want a part of us, I'm not sure what's left for this business."

Labels can still be influential and profitable by focusing on younger acts that need their muscle to get radio play and placement in record stores — but only if the music itself remains a saleable commodity. "That's the interesting part of all this," says a producer who works primarily with American rap artists. "Radiohead is the best band in the world; if you can pay whatever you want for music by the best band in the world, why would you pay $13 dollars or $.99 cents for music by somebody less talented? Once you open that door and start giving music away legally, I'm not sure there's any going back."

Who knows, maybe more and more bands will start doing this, so the focus shifts away from record sales to live performances (a band that sucks at playing live sucks, simple as). There's nothing wrong with making money with music, after all musicians have to make a living too. But as soon as record sales become more important than the art, the music, there is something wrong. And that's exactly what most big record labels are doing. They don't care a lot about the music, and it's difficult to maintain creative integrity on a label like that.

So I think Radiohead are making a good move by giving away their album for free, without being on a label. Besides, I'm sure that many Radiohead fans are interested in getting the discbox.

 

[Profe]

I doubt it will have such a sever impact on the industry. People have been downloading music for free illegally for about a decade now, I can't figure how this could have a bigger impact than illegal downloads. If records labels have survived napster/slsk/limewire and all other p2p and torrents, they are probably ok.

 

[SheepDip]

I am interested in the discbox, not for

 

[Nestor Makhno]

Only a band that has already made a squillion quid out of normal record sales could afford to do this.

 

[Colt .45 killer]

who knows, perhaps they will make more money doing this. i personally never even heard of radiohead before my physics teacher was talking about this a few days ago, i think il download the disc and see if its any good, if it is i might end up buying some of their other older records.

 

[Valac]

I personally like to listen to a few tunes off the album (not the singles) so for me to get it digitally i wouldnt pay anything till i heard it. Being a musician, i wouldnt have a prob paying for it if it was worth it.

 

[Reddog]

They played it on the local radio today, was not impressed.

 

[Quietus]

This is the Radiohead I like:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxpblnsJEWM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5X7HKxpiQA

love the music but the effeminine image/mannerisms of many of the members though is, um.. no.

Also this is one of my favorite songs from Spacehog:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYxl-4oRu1U

(I guessing there is a thing with alot of British bands and effeminism)

 

[Coey]

They'll never top Creep as their best song.

 

[Valac]

if they dont do better than creep, i am out.

 

[Quietus]

They'll never top Creep as their best song.

It's one of my favorite songs of all time (of any genre). It's pure in the musical sense, just guitars, bass, drums ,vocals (which is what I really like) and in the emotional sense. It's nothing contrived or manufactured like I feel their later albums were. It's a fact that most bands 1st & 2nd album are usually their best ones as far as real heartfelt songwriting goes. After that ideas and songs get tougher to make without repeating what you have already done.

 

[SheepDip]

Street Spirit is clearly Radioheads best song.

 

[Nimsky]

who knows, perhaps they will make more money doing this. i personally never even heard of radiohead before my physics teacher was talking about this a few days ago, i think il download the disc and see if its any good, if it is i might end up buying some of their other older records.

Don't forget to listen The Bends and OK Computer, their most accessible (and imo their best) albums.

They played it on the local radio today, was not impressed.

I kinda agree. For the most part it's just Yorke singing slowly over percussion and synth tracks in a falsetto voice. The melodies (and melody is VERY important to me) sound a lot alike. If you go listen to this album with the expectation of getting the same magic as songs like Street Spirit, There There, Karma Police, etc... chances are you will be disappointed. The percussion is good though. Good music often grows on you, so maybe this is the case for this one too, but I doubt I'll like it...

This is the Radiohead I like:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxpblnsJEWM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5X7HKxpiQA

love the music but the effeminine image/mannerisms of many of the members though is, um.. no.
(I guessing there is a thing with alot of British bands and effeminism)

Yeah, that's the stuff I'm talking about... The Bends and OK Computer, fantastic albums. I don't see anything effeminate about them though, apart from maybe the way Greenwood jumps into that trailer in the Street Spirit video.

It's one of my favorite songs of all time (of any genre). It's pure in the musical sense, just guitars, bass, drums ,vocals (which is what I really like) and in the emotional sense. It's nothing contrived or manufactured like I feel their later albums were.

Well, tastes differ... there are many people who like their electronic stuff. Keep in mind that there's nothing wrong with using electronic / synthesizer stuff in music. You're right that it's often used to make cookie-cutter music (Britney Spears etc), but Radiohead are not one of those groups. The synth is just as much an instrument as the guitar is. It's just that it takes skill to make electronic parts that are good. Some of the bands that have used synths are some of the most innovative bands in music history. For example Kraftwerk, Pink Floyd, Joy Division, and indeed Radiohead. Synths can definitely sound emotional. I still prefer Radiohead's guitar stuff though.

Take a look at this video of them performing Go To Sleep on TV. Watch the crazy guitar solo at the end.... ****ing crazy. Jonny Greenwood is a great musician. Don't tell me that that solo is not original!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53MaNyo-BkI

 

[gautrek]

I would want paying to download Radiohead.
Talk about a band who have their heads up their own arses.
They started good and rapidly went down hill.

 

[{Cap-Down}]

Alot of bands start their own labels these days. To have more creative control over their music. But often this only means more expensive albums as they can't have the advertising budget a large record company would bring.